And starting in February 2013 there will be a massive sale of tickets for all spectator tribunes which, as well as on the internet, will take place at the Luzhniki Olympic Complex (pictured top) and other ticket booths around the city.

The announcement is a direct response to the comments of the IAAF's President Lamine Diack earlier this year when he said that filling the stadium would be the organisers' "biggest challenge".

Diack's comments came during a meeting with Moscow Mayor Sergey Sobyanin on May 14.

The President said that in 2013 he hoped to be a part of "the best World Championships", adding: "I know the sports facilities you have and I know the sportsmen fostered in Russia...I think, as far as the very championships and organisation are concerned, there will be no issues here.

"The biggest challenge for our championships is filling the stadium with spectators."

Moscow 2013 put World Championships tickets on sale early after IAAF President Lamine Diack suggested that it might be difficult to fill stadiums

The Moscow 2013 media conference where the announcement was made was attended by Valentin Balakhnichev, President of the All-Russia Athletics Federation (ARAF) and IAAF treasurer; Alexey Vorobyev, head of Moscow Sport Committee; and Alexander Polinsky, director general of the Moscow Directorate of Sports and Entertainment Events.

Moscow was declared the host next year's IAAF World Championships on March 27, 2007 during the IAAF Council meeting in Mombasa, Kenya.

The World Championships have never before taken place either in Russia or in the Soviet Union.

Race Walking and the marathon courses will take place on roads in the Olympic Complex and along the embankments of the Moskva River, including the Kremlin Embankment.

The IAAF World Championships Opening Ceremony is scheduled for August 10, the first day of the competition.

Over 4,000 athletes and official guests from 212 counties will take part in the Moscow World Championships, while over 200,000 spectators are expected to attend.

Russia's Mariya Savinova (C) took gold in the 2011 IAAF World Championships women's 800 metres, with South Africa's Caster Semenya (L) winning silver and Kenya's Janeth Jepkosgei Busiene (R) bronze

At the 2011 Daegu World Championships, Russian athletes won nine golds and secured second place in the overall medal table behind the United States.

At the London 2012 Olympic Games, Russian track and field athletes gained eight gold, five silver and five bronze medals.

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